Tag Archives: Artemis

Science

NASA hits pause on its Artemis moon lander competition

Leave a comment

NASA announced Jan. 27, 2021 that it would delay choosing which companies will move forward with its lunar lander competition.  (Image credit: NASA)

NASA has put its plan to choose which companies will continue to develop lunar landers for the Artemis moon program on hold.

The agency quietly announced the delay, first reported by the Verge, in a Jan. 27 notice to the three commercial teams participating in the Human Landing System (HLS) program. SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics are developing lunar landers for the agency’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon’s surface by 2024. In the new notice, NASA revealed that “a no-cost extension to each of their base period contracts will be required.” 

NASA awarded the three contracts last year and initially planned to pick two companies to continue on in the competition by Feb. 28. The extension gives the agency until April 30 to make that decision. 

Related: NASA unveils plan for Artemis ‘base camp’ on the moon beyond 2024

History of NASA: $22.99 at Magazines Direct

Discover the story of how and why NASA was created, its greatest triumphs, darkest days, and of the times it exceeded all possible hopes. A tale of adventure, heroism and resourcefulness, learn of the space agency’s greatest achievements and how — over six decades — the organization has consistently and tirelessly devoted itself to its founding principle: that “activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all humankind”.  View Deal

The three contracts totaled $967 million in development funds, SpaceX was awarded $135 million and aims to use its Starship reusable vehicle as its lunar lander; Blue Origin was awarded $579 million and is beefing up its Blue Moon lander for humans with a “National Team” made up of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper; and Dynetics, which is partnering with Sierra Nevada Corp, snagged the last contract, worth $253 million, to develop a new, two-stage vehicle.

The extension does not grant any of the companies extra funding. With this extension, NASA will have additional time to choose what companies might receive awards for developing the landers. 

“This extension is an administrative change and allows the three selected U.S. companies to continue HLS design and development activities as set forth in the firms’ base period contracts, awarded in May 2020,” NASA stated. 

This move was expected, according to the Verge, as congressional funding for NASA’s Artemis program fell short of requests and as President Joe Biden takes over the executive branch. “NASA’s fiscal year 2021 budget request sought $3.3 billion for the program, but the final omnibus appropriations bill enacted in December provided $850 million,” SpaceNews wrote about the Artemis funding shortage being the main reason behind the decision to postpone this next phase in narrowing down the lander contracts

Now, while $850 million is far less than the $3.3 billion NASA hoped for to stay on track with their ambitious aim to land humans on the moon by 2024, the agency is still “shooting for the 2024 timeframe,” Kathy Lueders, the NASA associate administrator for human exploration and operations, said at a Jan. 14 NASA Advisory Council meeting, according to Space News. 

The Biden administration has not yet commented on its plans for the agency or whether it will adhere to the 2024 lunar deadline set by former President Donald Trump’s administration, however, the Democratic Party’s platform referenced returning humans to the moon, according to SpaceNews. 

Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Read original article here

Science

NASA’s delayed Moon lander contracts cast doubt on Artemis timeline

Leave a comment

The setback doesn’t come as a shock. Congress only gave NASA’s Human Landing System project $850 million in its latest spending bill versus the $3.2 billion it said was necessary for the planned 2024 Moon touchdown. it doesn’t help that NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine left as President Biden took office, leaving his deputy Steve Jurczyk in his place. The organization just doesn’t have the resources or direction it was expecting.

As such, the chances of NASA making its 2024 Artemis goal are that much slimmer. That’s also discounting any possible changes in priorities at NASA under the Biden administration. The new White House has focused much of its energy on dealing on immediate crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. It may be reluctant to devote much (if any) attention to a Moon landing until the country is in better shape.

Read original article here

Science

NASA Conducts Hot Fire Test of RS-25 Engine for Artemis SLS Moon Rocket

Leave a comment

NASA conducted the first hot fire on January 28, 2021, in a new series of tests for production of RS-25 engines that will help power the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on future deep space missions.

The test of RS-25 developmental engine No. 0528 on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Missouri, marks the beginning of a seven-test series designed to provide valuable data to Aerojet Rocketdyne, lead contractor for SLS engines, as the company begins production of new RS-25 engines.

Four RS-25 engines help power SLS at launch, firing simultaneously to generate a combined 1.6 million pounds of thrust at launch and 2 million pounds of thrust during ascent. The RS-25 engines for the first four SLS flights are upgraded space shuttle main engines and have completed certification testing. NASA now is focused on providing data to enhance production of new RS-25 engines and components for use on subsequent SLS missions.

The new test series will evaluate the performance of engine components made with cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and techniques. The testing is part of NASA’s and Aerojet Rocketdyne’s effort to use advanced manufacturing methods to significantly reduce the cost and time needed to build new RS-25 engines.

For the January 28 test, the RS-25 developmental engine was fired for a full duration of about eight-and-a-half minutes (500 seconds), the same amount of time the engines must fire to help send SLS to orbit. The engine was fired at 111% of its original space shuttle main engine design power and the same power level needed to help launch SLS on its missions.

The hot fire marks the first test on the historic stand since April 2019, when NASA concluded testing of RS-25 engines for the first four SLS missions. Since that time, Stennis teams have worked to complete major maintenance and upgrade projects to the A-1 Test Stand and its systems to ensure future test capabilities.

Among other projects, the work featured installation of a new NASA-designed-and-manufactured thrust vector control system on the test stand that allows operators to “gimbal” test RS-25 engines, moving them on a tight circular axis as must be done in flight to ensure proper trajectory.

NASA is building SLS as the world’s most powerful rocket. Initial SLS missions will fly to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, including the Artemis I uncrewed test flight this year that will pave the way for future flights with astronauts to explore the lunar surface and prepare for missions to Mars.

RS-25 tests at Stennis are conducted by a combined team of NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Syncom Space Services operators. Syncom Space Services is the prime contractor for Stennis facilities and operations.



Read original article here